Dust in the Wind and Other Short Stories
by Flowers of Moss
Summary: A series of songbased short stories, a few serious, mostly not so much.  Each is based on a different character, and they're not in any particular order, so you don't have to read each one. Enjoy, I guess!
1. Dust in the Wind

So, I've never written a songfic before…but I have some odd ideas, and most of them aren't too serious. I think I'll start out with something a little less silly. This is one of my favorite songs

Each one of these will focus on a different character.

---

Dust in the Wind (and other short songfics)

Flowers of Moss

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Dust in the Wind – Kansas

---

Felix lay back on the ground, staring up at the stars. He sighed and thought about the day's events.

_I close my eyes_

_Only for a moment_

_Then the moment's gone_

His old friends Isaac and Garet had finally caught up with them at the Jupiter Lighthouse, then nearly lost their lives to a raving madwoman bent on revenge. He had managed to save them, then in the process of doing that almost got his closest friends killed, then lost the Mars Star. What was left for them now?

_All my dreams_

_Pass before my eyes, a curiosity_

He had given everything to this quest; now he had nothing left. He had no home, Vale would never take him back in. His parents were trapped in Prox and he was surprised that his sister still even talked to him after all the trouble he caused. His companions traveled with him on this quest, but they would go back to their lives as soon as it was over. Felix was the outcast. Life was moving on without him.

_Dust in the wind_

_All they are is dust in the wind_

Even if he did succeed in saving the world, no one would remember him. They followed him on this quest, but none really looked to him for guidance. No one confided in him. Even Isaac, who shared his leadership role, had stayed distant.

_Same old song_

_Just a drop of water in an endless sea_

He stood up and walked towards the river. It was a quiet night with no one around to interrupt his thoughts. He stood in the flowing water and watched it wash away the mud on his boots. A breeze blew gently, slightly ruffling his hair.

_All we do_

_Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see_

He could leave now. Run off into the wilderness where no one would bother him. It's not like they really needed him now. He had nothing to offer. Now that he didn't have the Mars star…

_Dust in the wind_

_All we are is dust in the wind_

He turned and looked at the lights of Contigo. Something in him wanted to go back; he could be the leader that they expected. But the other part of him knew that he would fail. He'd failed at everything else. He didn't need to cause any more damage.

_Don't hang on_

_Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky_

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun, nearly drawing his sword. Seeing who it was, he relaxed. Just Isaac. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't hear you coming." Isaac gave him a half-smile, then moved to stand next to him.

_It slips away_

_And all your money won't another minute buy_

"You should go back and get some sleep," Isaac said. Felix shook his head. "What's the use? It doesn't matter what I do now." Isaac stared at him, slightly shocked. "How could you say that? It matters to all of us!"

Felix gave him a half-hearted smile. "Thanks for trying. But you don't have to lie to me." He turned away. Isaac grabbed his shirt and dragged Felix around so that he was facing the blond boy. He looked angry. "Felix, stop this now! I knew a Felix once, but he was a good person. A great leader! What had happened to him?"

Felix looked past Isaac into the distance. What did it matter in the end? "Dust in the wind…" he whispered. Then he looked into his friend's eyes. Something mattered there. Someone cared. They would all die someday, but knowing that he made a difference in one person's life could surpass death. He chuckled, then threw his arm around Isaacs shoulders. "Well, let's go find him!" he said, then he strode off towards Contigo.

_Dust in the wind_

_All we are is dust in the wind_

_--- _

Well, let me know what you think can be improved!


	2. The Elements

Alright, so this next one I feel better about, since it's pretty pointless. If you've never heard of this song, you should look it up. It makes me laugh (and don't laugh at me, I'm a chemical engineer). The tune of the song is from the Pirates of Penzance (spelling?), if you've ever heard of it. I hadn't before this year. Anyways, here's Kraden.

---

The Elements – Tom Lehrer

---

Kraden came running up to Felix and Jenna, who were examining the fountain in the middle of Lemuria. "Come on, come on, you have to see what I've found!" He danced around them, skipping and prancing. Felix threw a pained glance at his sister as they slowly followed the excited old man. They walked by Sheba, who had been playing with a cat and dragged her along as well. "We're all in this together," Jenna snarled at her when Sheba protested.

The three adepts followed Kraden to a small building set apart from the main city. As they entered, Kraden pointed to something. "See? Look!" They looked. There was a big wooden box with legs, with a bench sitting in front of it. The front part was lined with white and black strips. Jenna sighed, exasperated. "You brought us over here to see a box?" Kraden shook his head emphatically. "It's not just a box! Watch!" He reached over to it and pushed down on one of the white strip. The three were shocked and awed as it made a note. They rushed up to it, all trying to push the keys. Sheba giggled. "This is a fun toy!" Kraden shook his head at her. "It's no toy, this is an ancient musical instrument!"

"Really? Play us a song!" Jenna demanded. Kraden thought for a moment. "I'm not very musical…"

"Pleeaseeee?" The girls begged. Kraden smiled. "Oh well, alright. I do know one song." He sat down on the bench and put his hands on the keys. He began to play, haltingly at first, then growing more confident after hitting some good sounding notes. "Ah!" he said, then began to sing.

"There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium

And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium

And nickel, neodymium, neptunium, germanium

And iron, americium, ruthenium, uranium

Europium, zirconium, lutetium, vanadium

And lanthanum and osmium and astatine and radium

And gold and protactinium and indium and gallium…"

He trailed off and took a deep breath. Felix stood scratching his head while Jenna and Sheba looked almost murderous. Kraden ignored them and continued.

"And iodine and thorium and thulium and thallium!" Then he played a few bad notes before regaining his bearings, then started singing again.

"There's yttrium, ytterbium, actinium, rubidium

And boron, gadolinium, niobium, iridium

And strontium and silicon and silver and samarium

And bismuth, bromine, lithium, beryllium, and barium"

At this time, Piers entered the building. "Oh, there you guys are! Ah, Kraden, I see you've found the-"

Kraden interrupted him. "Piers! How good it is to see you! You're just in time for the rest of my song!" Piers looked around. Sheba had fainted on the ground, Felix was still scratching his head confusedly, and Jenna was making a silent plea to him to make it stop. "Erm…" he said. But Kraden had put his hands back on the keys and begun to play again.

"There's holmium and helium and hafnium and erbium

And phosphorus and francium and fluorine and terbium

And manganese and mercury, molybdenum, magnesium

Dysprosium and scandium and cerium and cesium

And lead, praseodymium, and platinum, plutonium

Palladium, promethium, potassium, polonium

And tantalum, technetium, titanium, tellurium…"

He paused to catch his breath again. Piers tried to stop Kraden. "No, you don't have to fin-" he managed to blurt out before Kraden kept on going.

"And cadmium and calcium and chromium and curium!" Jenna had now pulled out her sword and was trying to stab Kraden with it while Piers held her back. Felix hadn't moved.

"There's sulfur, californium, and fermium, berkelium

And also mendelevium, einsteinium, nobelium

And argon, krypton, neon, radon, xenon, zinc, and rhodium

And chlorine, carbon, cobalt, copper, tungsten, tin, and sodium"

Sheba sat up, dazed. "What's going on?" she asked.

"These are the only ones in which the news has come to Weyard…

And there may be many others but they haven't been discovered!"

He played a few final notes, then threw his hands in the air. "Ta daa!" he said. "What do you think?"

Piers blinked at him while trying to hold the murderous Jenna back and cover her mouth at the same time to keep her from screaming obscenities. "Um…wonderful," he said. Kraden turned to Felix. "How about you?" Felix looked at him blankly. "What? Oh…um…I don't get it…" Sheba decided to faint again.

Kraden shook his head. "You know…come to think of it…who's Einstein?"

---

**The End!**


	3. All That Jazz

This one's kinda set in an AU, so I can get away with what I'm going to write here. So, here's something a little different for Jenna!

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All That Jazz – Chicago (the musical)

---

Jenna stared despondently at her drink. It fizzed gently. Every night was the same. She went in, did her show routine, then changed and pulled her hair back before heading out to the bar for a beer. No one ever recognized her once she was out of costume so she was safe to wander the halls as she pleased. But she usually stayed close to the bar. It wasn't safe for a young woman to wander Tolbi at night.

She remembered back to when she was a little girl in Vale. She had wanted to badly to leave her small town, to become a showgirl and travel the world. She had been awed the first time a group of actors and dancers came to Vale. From that moment on, she knew she wanted that life. Her brother Felix told her she was silly; that being a showgirl was not as glamorous as it looked. He said it was dishonorable…and dangerous. But he couldn't stop her from dreaming. The first number they performed, she would never forget it.

_Come on babe, why don't we paint the town_

The music was inviting, the singing was amazing, and the dancing girls? Well…they were sexy. Jenna didn't know any better then. She wanted to be a part of it.

_And all that jazz_

The day after she turned seventeen, she bought a bus ticket bound for Lunpa and struck out on her own. Felix had been there when she left. He had tried to convince her one last time to stay at home, but she would have none of it. There was a world out there, and she wanted to be a part of it. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and that was the last time she saw him.

_I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down_

_And all that jazz_

In Lunpa, she found a job as a waitress at bar while trying to scrounge up enough money to buy a car and a place to live. It was there that she met her first friend in the outside world. Ivan worked for a man named Hammet, who owned real estate in almost every city in Angara. He was the manager of a small apartment complex in Lunpa. She met him one day at work when she was his waitress. After she served him, he stopped her and invited her to sit down. They hadn't been busy that day, so she decided that it would be alright for her to take a short break. He asked if she had a place to stay. At first she tried to tell him that she was living with a friend, but the look he gave her told her that he knew better. That night, Ivan helped her move into a small apartment in the basement. Not that she had much to move. He told her that if she ever needed anything, to come to him. She couldn't thank the boy enough for his kindness, but he refused to accept any payment.

_Start the car, I know a whoopee spot_

_Where the gin is cold, but the piano's hot_

A few months later, Jenna was frustrated with her search for a real job. She didn't leave everything behind to become a waitress. So, she went to Ivan to talk to him about her frustrations. He smiled at her and told her that he might be able to cook something up.

One week later, a man came knocking at Jenna's door. He introduced himself as Mr. Hammet. Jenna couldn't believe it at first. Why would an important man like himself visit a waitress? But she found out, as Ivan later explained, that Hammet had come because he asked. Ivan was like a son to Hammet. That's one reason why he had a manager position at such a young age. Hammet invited her to accompany him to Kalay, where there was an open position for a stage manager at a local casino. Jenna agreed immediately; she was so excited, she could hardly contain herself.

The next day, Jenna found herself saying farewell to her only friend. He told her to be careful, then made her promise to call once she was settled in to her new job. She gave him a hug and climbed into Hammet's car.

_It's just a noisy hall_

_Where there's a nightly brawl_

_And all_

_That_

_Jazz_

Jenna found that the stage manager position was a very stressful job. She got to work directly with the showgirls and musicians, but she found that many of them were either alcoholics or just plain unpleasant. She told herself that she would never be like them.

The casino she worked at was not Kalay's finest, and the clientele was certainly not the cleanest bunch, but she was well paid and she had a place to stay. Still, when she watched the shows from the side of the stage, she could only dream of when it would be her up there.

Then she met Alex.

_Slick your hair_

_And wear your buckle shoes_

_And all that Jazz!_

Alex was a piano player at the casino. He was a few years older than Jenna, but he was very attractive. He'd probably dated, or at least had a fling with every show girl at the casino. Jenna knew this, but when he asked her on a date, she couldn't help but accept.

At first, Alex was everything she thought a man would be. He was sweet, helpful, romantic. He took her to some of the nicest restaurants in Kalay. He was an incredible piano player. One weekend, the two of them planned a trip to take a boat across the Karagol and visit Tolbi for a few days. Jenna was really excited. Tolbi was the big city, the center of all the action. She had asked Alex if he knew anyone who hired showgirls in Tolbi. He had just laughed and told her not to worry herself about it.

_I hear that Father Dip_

_Is gonna blow the blues_

_And all that jazz_

When they arrived in Tolbi, Alex headed strait for the bar where he would be meeting some friends for poker, leaving Jenna to explore the city on her own. She felt alone without Alex, so she stayed in the bar for a time, while Alex played poker and got drunk. She wanted Alex to come and do something with her, but he was ignoring her, so she came up behind him and put her arms around his neck. He shrugged her off. So, she put her hand on his shoulder. Alex turned around, looking angry and slapped her in the face. She fell backwards onto the floor, then scrambled away, out into the city.

She wandered the city streets alone, sobbing to herself, not knowing what to do. She heard some voices laughing behind her, then some hands roughly grabbed her. She tried to scream, but someone had put a large hand over her mouth. She started to struggle, but for some odd reason, her assailants shouted in surprise and ran away, leaving her on the ground. Her rescuer stepped towards her into a light. "Felix?!"

_Hold on, hun_

_We're gonna bunny hug_

_I bought some aspirin_

_Down at United Drug_

_In case we shake apart_

_And want a brand new start_

_To do_

_That_

_Jazz_

Felix reached down to Jenna to help her up, and then she threw her arms around him. She had missed her brother. He told her that he had come to find her because he couldn't stand not knowing if she were safe. He had followed her trail from Lunpa all the way to here. She told him about all that had happened. When she mentioned Ivan, he smiled and told her that he had met the boy. He listened carefully until she told him about Alex and what had happened right before he saved her. Felix was angry. He wanted to go find Alex, but Jenna stopped him, saying that the man was drunk so it would be dangerous to fight him. Felix consented, but reluctantly. He brought her back to his apartment and let her use his bed for the night.

That next morning, Felix woke her up and told her that they were going to find her a job as a showgirl today. She was shocked, knowing how he felt about her doing something like that, but he was insistent. He wanted her to be happy, and if that's what it took, he would help.

They met with an old friend named Garet, who owned a classy casino on the beach. Garet and his family were originally from Vale, but when they were young children, his family moved to Tolbi and opened up their casino. When Garet turned eighteen, his parents gave him the business. A year later, the casino continued to flourish under Garet's management.

He told Felix and Jenna that he didn't have any openings for what Jenna wanted, but he would pull some strings to try and make a space. A week later, Jenna had the job of her dreams.

_Find a flask, we're playing fast and loose_

_And all that jazz_

_Right up here is where I store the juice_

_And all that jazz_

Jenna sat at the bar, remembering the events that led her to this life. She tried her best to be happy for Felix since he had worked so hard to get her where she was, but it was hard. She had become what she had vowed not to do; she was just like those showgirls in Kalay. But when Felix came to pick her up every night to take her home, she put a breathmint in her mouth and a smile on her face.

Jenna drained her glass and glanced at the clock on the wall. Felix would be there in a half hour. She lay her head down on the bar.

_Come on babe, we're gonna brush the sky_

_I betcha lucky Lindy never flew so hight_

'_Cause in the stratosphere how could he lend an ear_

_To all _

_That_

_Jazz_

As she sat there, she heard someone sit next to her at the bar and order a drink. That was unusual. No one ever sat next to her, especially towards the end of the night. They knew Felix well. _This guy must be pretty drunk_, she thought.

She sat up and glanced over at him. Blonde, blue eyes…he didn't look drunk, either. She turned her head all the way towards him as he smiled at her. He seemed familiar, somehow. "You've got a lot of nerve," she said to him. He nodded. "Maybe, Jenna."

She was surprised. How did he know her real name? Many people knew her stage name, but she told no one her given name. "How do you…Have we met before?" she asked him. He nodded again. "Yes, we have, but it's not surprising that you don't remember. It's been a long time."

Jenna shook her head. Her memory was pretty fuzzy. "I'm sure you're pretty hungry." The young man said. "Would you care to have dinner?"

"But Felix-" He waved his hand to cut her off. "I'm sure he will understand," he said. She hadn't really gone anywhere with a man except for Felix and Garet since Alex. But he looked honest. She nodded. "Alright, I guess." The man held out his hand and help her down from the bar stool. As they walked towards the door, she halted him and asked, "What's your name, anyways?" He smiled and said, "Isaac."

Across the room, in a dark corner, Felix watched his old friend lead his sister towards the door. He smiled knowlingly. _Maybe she'll be happy after all._

_No, I'm no one's wife, but_

_Oh, I love my life_

_And all…that…_

_Jazz!_

_That jazz!_

---

_Fin._

See, no worries for you Valeshippers out there.


	4. A Pirate's Life for Me

This is another pretty random one. I think everyone ought to know this song by now.

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A Pirate's Life for Me – from Pirates of the Caribbean

---

Briggs lounged on the deck of his newly gained ship. "Ahh…" he said. "This is much better than that lousy jail. And now we can finally go home!" His wife smiled at him as she held their son. "Yes, hopefully things will go back to normal so we'll never have to go though this again." He shrugged. "I dunno. I kinda enjoyed it. Thrilling, you know?" Chaucha looked shocked. "You're kidding, right? We need to stay at home and raise Eleo-" She was interrupted by Briggs. "Oh, I think the pirate's life is for me! Eleo will love it!" He spun to his men who were opening a barrel of rum. "Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!"

"_We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot_

_Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!_

_We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot_

_Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!"_

Briggs paused to take a gulp down his drink. Chaucha burst in, "Briggs, we never kidnapped anyone!" while his men sung a chorus of "yo ho"s. "Sure we did, my dear! We kidnapped a ship!"

"I don't think that counts…" But she was unheard by the singing pirates.

"_We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack_

_Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!_

_Maurad and embezzle and even hijack_

_Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!"_

Eleo squealed and clapped his hands at the excitement. Chaucha scolded him. "No! This is nothing to be happy about!" But the boy ignored her and tried to use his power to reach a bottle of rum. Chaucha snatched it away from him. "Absolutely not!" she yelled.

"_We kindle, char, flame and ignite_

_Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!_

_We burn up the city, we're really a fright_

_Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!"_

"Hah!" Chaucha laughed. "The only thing that got burnt in these parts was your dignity!"

Briggs looked embarrassed. "Do you really have to point that out?" he pouted. "Besides, it's not like we could set fire to anything. I mean, it was all wet!"

"_We're rascals, scoundrels, villains and knaves_

_Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!_

_We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs_

_Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!"_

The pirates started to slur words at this point. The barrel of rum was almost empty. Briggs shouted. "The rum's gone! Somebody go get s'more!" One of the pirates staggered off towards to hold.

"_We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads_

_Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!_

_Aye! But we're loved by our mommies and daddies_

_Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!"_

"Yo ho….yo ho…a pirate's life f'r…m…" Briggs passed out on the floor.

Chaucha cackled. "Hahahaha! Now that you are all in a drunken stupor, I will lock in the hold and return home, where they will make me their Queen!" She turned to face the horizon. "First, Champa, next, THE WORLD!"

---


	5. The Mariner's Revenge

Just you know, I'm going to mess with the plot of the game here. And..it's mostly dialogue

* * *

The Mariner's Revenge – The Decemberists

* * *

Piers walked out into the sunlight on his ship. He was excited to return home to Lemuria after spending so much time adventuring with Felix. They had explored the Eastern Sea, but they were unable to go west because of the continent shift. He hoped that King Hydros would be able to help them somehow. 

He looked over at Felix, who was manning the helm. Jenna and Sheba lounged on deck, chattering about things he wouldn't want to know about. He stretched out his arms and yawned. _What a wonderful day_, he thought. He walked up to Felix, who nodded at him. Piers pointed off behind them. "Do you see that out there?" he asked. Felix squinted off into the distance. "Yea, it looks like another ship…"

"Another _Lemurian _ship."

"Oh…that's not good."

Piers shrugged. "Would that be this "Isaac" that you mention?" Felix nodded. "Yea. Hopefully we can reach Lemuria before they catch us." Piers shook his head. "Don't worry. We'll lose them in the Sea of Time." Felix smiled and the two were silent for a few minutes, enjoying the day. Then Piers jumped as he felt something bump against the bottom of the ship. "What was that?!" he shouted. Jenna glanced over at him. "What was what?"

"That bump! Didn't you feel it?" Sheba shook her head. "Are you sure you didn't drink too much rum?" Piers scowled. "Not funny." He felt another bump. "There it was again!" The girls shook their heads. Felix waved his hand. "No, I felt it that time. I think there's something swimming down there."

"But what could possibly be that big?" Piers wondered. Then Felix pointed toward were the other ship was. It was much closer now. They watched in horror as a huge tail burst from the water and smashed the ship. Piers turned and shouted, "Felix, turn the ship around! Get out of here!" Felix did as he was told, but they were too late. The four adepts watched as the tail rose from the water and came down on top of them. Piers could hear to wood smashing around him as he fell into darkness.

---

Felix burst to the surface and gasped for air. He opened his eyes and looked for something to hang on to. He reached for a floating board. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face, trying to remove some of the salt water from his eyes. When he opened them again, he noticed that there was someone else on his board. "Oh, hi there, Isaac…"

---

Piers slowly opened his eyes. He noticed that he was lying on something quite warm and squishy. It was too dark to make out his surroundings. He sat up and felt around and found something that felt like a face. It moaned. "Ahh!" he screamed. "A zombie!" He heard something move around. Then a light blinded him. "Arghh!" he whined.

When he could finally see again, he found himself looking at a young boy with blue hair. "Umm…hi," Piers said. The boy sneered at him.

"_We are two mariners_

_Our ships' sole survivors_

_In this belly of a whale_" the boy responded.

"Oh…"Piers said. "That explains things." The boy continued.

"_Its ribs our ceiling beams_

_Its guts our carpeting_

_I guess we have some time to kill_"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Piers asked. "Anyways, do I know you?" The boy smirked. "You could say that." He continued on.

"_You may not remember me_

_I was a child of three_

_And you a lad of eighteen_

_But I remember you_

_And I will relate to you_

_How our histories interweave_"

"Eighteen? That must've been a long time ago. You can't really blame me for not remembering. What's your name?" Piers asked. The boy stared at him for a moment, deciding what to do, then said. "My name is Quinn. I am your brother." Piers was surprised. "Really now? You'd think I'd remember that…" Quinn scowled at him. "You have been gone for a long time."

"Umm…I've only been away for a few months…" Quinn snorted. "Whatever. You're ruining my dramatic return!" Piers shrugged as Quinn continued his song.

"_At the time you were a rake and a roustabout_

_Spending all your money on the whores and hounds…"_

Piers interrupted him. "You know, that's a pretty outrageous claim. I mean, there aren't even any prostitutes in Lemuria…" But Quinn waved him into silence.

"_You had a charming air_

_All cheap and debonair_

_My widowed mother found so sweet_

_And so she took you in-"_

"Wait just a minute here! If you're my brother, why would she need to take me in? That makes no sense." Quinn shrugged. "It sounded good."

"Well, at least you're right about the debonair part…" Piers looked pleased with himself.

"_Her sheets still warm with him_

_Now filled with filth and foul disease."_

"I don't get it…" Piers responded. "Are you talking about my father? He's been dead for hundreds of years!" Quinn shook his head. "It doesn't matter! Now stop interrupting me!"

"_As time wore on, you proved a debt-ridden, drunken mess-"_

"I can't let this pass by! I've never drank any alcohol in my life! And there's no money in Lemuria anymore!"

"_Leaving my mother a poor, consumptive wretch…"_

"What?! How dare you call our mother a wretch! If only she were here now…"

"Shut up!"

"_And then you disappeared_

_Your gambling arrears_

_The only thing you left behind_

_And then the magistrate_

_Reclaimed our small estate_

_And my poor mother lost her mind."_

"I have to object!" Piers shouted. "One: I was carried off by a tidal wave! Totally not my fault. Two: _There is no gambling in Lemuria!_ And three: My mother was already totally insane! Did her brain fall out or something?"

Quinn put his hands in his face. "You're making this really difficult! Can't you just own up to your sins?" Piers shook his head in exasperation.

"_Then one day, in spring, my dear sweet mother died…"_

"Mom's dead?! Oh no! I must get back to Lemuria right away!" Piers exclaimed. Quinn waved his hands at him. "I'm telling a story here! Yes, she's dead, most unfortunate, blah, blah. You have more important things going on right now!" Piers put his head his hands. "Oh, mother…"

"_But before she did, I took her hand as she, dying, cried:_

'_Find him, Find him_

_Tie him to a pole and break his finders_

_To splinters_

_Drag him to a hole until he wakes up_

_Naked_

_Clawing at the ceiling of his grave…'"_

"She said that about me?!" Piers shouted.

"Well…actually, I think she was talking about Conservato…but no one actually knows that, so I can say whatever I want."

"You're the worst liar ever!"

"_It took me fifteen years_

_To swallow all my tears_

_Among the urchins in the street"_

"I've only been gone for a few months!" Piers objected.

"Why can't you listen to me for more than a few seconds? Be quiet!"

"_Until a priory_

_Took pity and hired me_

_To keep their vestry nice and neat."_

"You mean, like a sanctum?" Piers asked.

"Yes. The one in Madra, to be exact. He was a nice man."

"Ah, yes, well, that's good to know."

"_But never once_

_In the employ of these holy men…_

_Did I ever once stir my mind from the thought of revenge"_

Piers scratched his head. "Wait, what are you revenging?"

"Were you even listening to me? Besides, that's not a word."

"Well, it is now."

"_One night I overhead_

_The prior exchanging words_

_With a penitent whaler from the sea."_

"Whaler?" Piers asked.

"Well, maybe not…" Quinn conceded. "But he was definitely a wanderer. Name was Felix."

"Ah, yes. He was a companion of mine."

"_The captain of his ship_

_Who matched you toe to tip_

_Was known for wanton cruelty"_

Piers raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"Well, you were in jail at the time…"

"Those were false charges! Almost as bad as what you've been accusing me of!"

"_The following day, I shipped to sea with a privateer_

_And in the whistle of the wind I could almost hear…"_

"Oh, you're not going to repeat what my mother said, are you?" Quinn looked sheepish. "Well…I had planned on it."

"Ug, you're so soppy!"

"Sorry…" Piers thought for a moment. "Wait, was the person you left with named Isaac?"

"Yes! Yes, he was! How did you know?"

"Uh…Just a guess, I suppose."

"_And then one fateful night_

_We had you in our sight_

_After twenty months at sea…"_

"It still hasn't been that long!" Quinn ignored him.

"_Your starboard flank abeam_

_I was getting my muskets cleaned-"_

"Woah, what's a musket?" Quinn shrugged. "I have no idea…"

"_-When came this rumbling from beneath._

_The ocean shook, the sky went black, and the captain quailed_

_And before us grew the angry jaws of a giant whale."_

"Oh, man, that's suspenseful, isn't it?" Quinn asked him. "Well, yes, I suppose…" Piers replied. "But wildly inaccurate."

"Well, what does that matter? I mean, we are in a whale's stomach. That's about as wild as it gets."

"Point taken."

"_Don't know how I survived_

_The crew all was chewed alive-"_

"Oh, no! Do you really think so?" Piers questioned worriedly

"No, probably not."

"How did we get in here, anyways?"

"_I must've slipped between his teeth…"_

"Ah, I see."

"_But, oh, what providence_

_What divine intelligence_

_That you should survive as well as me."_

"Yea, that is pretty coincidental. It's almost as if you planned this."

"Oh, you give me too much credit."

"_It give my heart great joy to see your eyes fill with fear"_

"The only thing I'm afraid of right now is getting digested."

"_So lean in close and I will whisper the last words you'll hear."_

Piers sighed and leaned in towards Quinn's mouth. He whispered something, at which Piers' face turned bright red. He pulled back and said, "Why you little…" Then he punched Quinn in the face. "Stupid kid…" he said. Then he froze the whale and kicked a hole into the side of its iced over stomach. He took a deep breath and swam out the hole.

Quinn sat up and watched the water pour in. "Oh shoot…" That was the last time anyone saw him.

What did Quinn say? Piers will never tell. And neither will I.

* * *


End file.
